The New Snape
by sarahw1984
Summary: I'm taking a brief break from "Change of Heart" to write this. I was wondering if being in love would change Snape at all so I wrote this. Please review!


DISCLAIMER: I own only the plot and the character, Rose Lennon. Everything else is owned by JKRowling.  
  
***  
  
"Get out of my way!" Severus snarled at the girl in front of him. He was trying to board the Hogwarts Express but with this idiotic Seventh Year girl struggling with her trunk and getting in the way he'd be lucky if he got on the train at all.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry." The girl turned round and Severus realised with a shock that she was not a student at all. Although it looked as if it hadn't been more than two or three years since she was one. Severus couldn't help noticing that she was stunningly pretty. "I'm Professor Rose Lennon. I'm the new Defence Against Dark Arts teacher."  
  
"I'm Severus Snape. I teach Potions." Severus realised with shock that he felt no anger towards this Defence teacher, unlike the others. Together they walked to the teachers' compartment on the huge steam train.  
  
"I'm so nervous." Rose confided in him as they sat down together, "It's my first teaching job. I'm from Liverpool originally but I went to Beauxbatons Academy. I completed my final year only two years ago."  
  
"There really isn't anything to be nervous about, Professor Lennon. The pupils are not bad. Some are a bit, well, simple, but not bad. Just be firm with them."  
  
"Thanks. And please, call me Rose, Professor Snape."  
  
"And call me Severus." He smiled. This was such a shock for Professor Flitwick, who was sat opposite, that he fell off his seat.  
  
***  
  
"Have you seen the new Defence Against Dark Arts teacher, Harry?" asked Ron as they ate the feast in the Great Hall later that day.  
  
"No. Why?" Harry looked puzzled. Ron didn't normally look this pleased about a teacher.  
  
"She's gorgeous! She's sat over there by - Oh, the poor woman! She's by Snape. And they're having a conversation!" Ron was incredulous.  
  
Harry whirled round in his seat. It was common knowledge that Snape had been after the Defence Against Dark Arts job for years but he never got it. As a result he always spent the first feast of the year glaring daggers at the new teacher. But this year he was chatting to her animatedly. He was even smiling! Ron was right though, she was gorgeous. If Harry hadn't known better, he'd say Snape fancied this new teacher. But Snape wasn't the sort of man to fancy people or to fall in love. He was too greasy and mean.  
  
Just then, Dumbledore stood up and gave his speech. After he had finished giving notices, he said, "And I would like to welcome our new Defence Against Dark Arts teacher, Professor Lennon." Everyone clapped as usual. The unusual thing, Harry noticed, was that Snape was clapping too.  
  
Something had to be up.  
  
***  
  
Severus sat alone in his dungeon classroom.  
  
He couldn't be developing feelings for Rose. She was young, beautiful, kind, intelligent, witty yet he couldn't develop feelings for her. He couldn't.   
  
And even if he did, he couldn't expect her to return his feelings.  
  
In his first year at Hogwarts as a student he had fallen for Lily Evans. She'd been a beautiful, muggle-born witch. She'd been with James Potter though and, when he'd asked her to give up James for him, she'd glared at him and said, icily, "Why would I do that? You're a evil, greasy Slytherin. Why would anyone want you, Severus?"  
  
Severus had been tortured by those words for the rest of his life. He'd never given his heart to anyone again. Once bitten, twice shy. Why shouldn't Rose feel the same way Lily had? Now he wasn't just "evil" and "greasy", he was bitter and angry too. He was worse now than he had ever been at school.  
  
"But what if I change?" He mused out loud, "Before Lily, I was fine. I wasn't evil. A bit vindictive, but never evil. I'll try..."  
  
***  
  
"Hurry up you two!" Hermione called to Harry and Ron, "We've got double Potions first."  
  
"And that's a reason to hurry?" Ron muttered to Harry who laughed, "Anyway, Snape wasn't at breakfast. He may be sick."  
  
But when they got there they were in for a shock. "See, I told you he wasn't going to be here. We've got a supply teacher instead." Ron said as they sat down.  
  
Hermione gave him a patronising look. "Are you stupid? That is Snape."  
  
Harry looked at the man standing in front of the class, waiting patiently (Snape? Patient?) for the class to settle. It was Snape. But he'd done something to his hair. It was no longer greasy and unkempt, but cut shorter and it was shiny. His face wasn't wearing it's usual sneer but, instead, a slight smile.  
  
"Silence please class!" Snape called, "Today we are going to learn how to make a Cheering Draught..."  
  
Ten minutes later, Harry was busy making his Cheering Draught. When he looked up he thought he was dreaming. Snape was actually helping Neville Longbottom! Other people were looking shocked and astounded at this, not least of all Neville, who looked as if he would faint on the spot. Malfoy looked incredulous. He had obviously lost all respect for his hero.  
  
Snape was now walking in Harry's direction. He stopped to talk to Hermione. "Perfect, Miss Granger! Twenty points to Gryffindor! Ah, Mr Weasley, I think you're putting in too much unicorn tail hair. Let Miss Granger help you fix it. Mr Potter, you seem to be doing fine..." And so it went on. In total the Gryffindors gained sixty points in that lesson. The Slytherins lost thirty after Malfoy knocked Neville's cauldron over on purpose. Snape had never taken points off his own house before!  
  
"Now class, You've all got your Cheering Draughts perfect. I think you should take them now. No doubt you'll be a bit miserable after a double Potions lesson. Mr Malfoy, you will give yours to Mr Longbottom to make up for spilling his. Now I know it's ten minutes early but you may all go now."  
  
After the Cheering Draughts had worn off and Harry, Ron and Hermione were back to their senses, they began to discuss Snape's bizarre behaviour.  
  
"Do you think one of his potions went wrong and turned him nice?" Queried Ron.  
  
"Maybe McGonagall finally got sick of him and put a spell on him." Harry thought out loud.  
  
"Or maybe you two are completely stupid and haven't bothered to consider the most obvious theory." Said Hermione. Exasperated by their blank expressions she went on, "Well, isn't it obvious? Snape's in love with Professor Lennon! Why else would he clean himself up and start being nice to everyone the second she arrives. He's trying to make a good impression!"  
  
Harry and Ron just stared.  
  
***  
  
Severus walked up to the Great Hall at lunch, ignoring the astonished stares he was getting from the students and staff. He blushed slightly as he overheard a Ravenclaw third year whisper, "Wow! Snape looks quite attractive like that!" He saw Rose at the staff table. God, she looked beautiful. Her short dark hair shimmered in the sunlight streaming through the windows. There was an empty seat next to her. He took it.  
  
"Good afternoon, Rose." He greeted her with a smile.  
  
"Hi, Severus. Your hair looks good shorter, by the way." He saw Rose eye him appreciatively.  
  
"Thanks. So how is your first day going so far?"  
  
"Fine. I had the fourth year Gryffindors first. Ginny Weasley and Colin Creevey made me laugh. They put me at my ease."  
  
"Miss Weasely is a very clever girl. I don't really know her or Mr Colin Creevey very well though. I'm head of Slytherin and so I know those students best."  
  
"Oh, your first years were in my second class then! Very bright students. They knew an awful lot about the Dark Arts." Rose laughed.  
  
Severus took a gulp of wine from his goblet. The Dark Arts. If she knew he had once been a Death Eater, he would never have any chance with her. Even if he had risked everything to spy for Dumbledore in the end she would still reject him. He decided to change the subject. "Have you seen all around the grounds yet, Rose?"  
  
"No. Not yet."  
  
"Well, maybe, if you'd like, I could show you around this evening..."  
  
"This evening? Oh, I'm so sorry. I can't. I have a meeting with Professor Dumbledore over my lesson plans for this term." Rose looked genuinely upset that she could not go but Severus felt the old familiar pang of rejection.  
  
"Oh, right then. Well, maybe another time." He quickly finished his drink, "I need to go and organise everything for my next class now. I shall see you later, Rose."  
  
Back down in the dungeons Severus sat at his desk, head in hands. What was his problem? Why did he try when he knew how it would turn out? Why would someone like Rose be interested in him? She was half his age, attractive, clever. She would want another young wizard. She probably already had a boyfriend. Severus felt like a teenager with a crush. It was horrible.  
  
***  
  
Harry was in the Gryffindor common room. Hermione was helping Ron with his Transfiguration homework. Harry was thinking about Snape. He had been positively nice to the class that morning and, from what he had heard, Snape had been wonderful with all his classes that day! Hermione must be right, no doubt about it, Snape was in love and it had to be with Professor Lennon. Harry mentally wished Snape luck. If his being in love was going to make Potions less of a torture then it had to be the dearest wish of every single student in Hogwarts.  
  
It was roasting hot in the common room. "I'm going for a walk." Harry murmered to Ron and Hermione. He got his invisibility cloak from the dormitory. He went out of the portrait hole before he put it on. The sight of the entrance opening all by itself would probably be too frightening for some of the younger Gryffindors to handle!  
  
Once in the corridor on the other side, he put on the cloak and set off.  
  
***  
  
Severus was also taking a night time stroll around the castle. Unable to sleep, he had pulled on his robes and gone wandering through the corridors. He was in a bad mood. Peeves had laughed at his short hair cut and started wailing Rose's name and making kissing noises.  
  
Suddenly, to his right, a door opened and Rose walked out wearing a fluffy pink dressing gown. She had a white towel wrapped around her head. She had obviously just been in the bathroom. Seeing Severus there, she blushed a deep shade of red. "Severus, hi!" She exclaimed. She had clearly not expected to see him. Severus, too, was incredibly embarrassed. The fact that she wasn't properly dressed wasn't helping matters. "Erm, hello."  
  
"Look, Severus, about that walk around the grounds? If you aren't doing anything now, well, I'd love to go with you." Rose looked at him shyly.  
  
A huge smile spead across Severus's face, "I'm not doing anything. I'll wait for you to get dressed, should I?"  
  
One wave of her wand and Rose was dressed and her hair was dry. "Off we go then..."  
  
***  
  
An invisible Harry stepped out of the shadows, watching Professors Snape and Lennon walking off towards the Entrance Hall. This looked interesting...  
  
***  
  
Nearly an hour later, Severus and Rose stopped on the Quidditch pitch. "And this is where the four house teams play Quidditch. Every year here they compete for the Hogwarts Quidditch cup."  
  
"Sports were never really encouraged at Beauxbatons for girls... It's so beautiful out tonight, isn't it, Severus?"  
  
"You're beautiful." he half-whispered before he could stop himself.  
  
Rose looked up at him with her big hazel eyes. She smiled. Severus abandoned all his scruples and kissed her passionately...  
  
***  
  
Harry saw the two teachers kiss and turned and ran back to the school. He felt ashamed of himself for following them and he wasn't going to watch anymore. But still, he couldn't wait to let Ron and Hermione know that from now on, Potions would be an almost enjoyable experience.  
  
***  
  
When they broke apart, Severus sighed and sat down on the grass. "Rose, before anything more happens between us, I want to tell you about my past. You... You may not want anything to do with me after you here it but..."  
  
"Severus, it's alright. Professor Dumbledore told me everything. He told me that you were once a Death Eater but, after that, you changed. He told me that without you, You Know Who might've killed even more Muggles and Muggle-borns. I don't care about your past, Severus. I care about your present and your future. And how it might be linked to mine." She leaned across and kissed him.  
  
They kissed for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, Severus whispered, "I love you, Rose."  
  
"I love you too."  
  
***  
  
OK. I don't know if this is very good or not, I just wanted to take a break from "Change of Heart". I do like the idea of Snape having a haircut and being nice to his class and putting his past behind him where it belongs though. If you liked it, review it! Thanks! 


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